The Perfect Present
by FortunaMajor7
Summary: During their sixth year, Harry and Ron have an epiphany and realize that girls have birthdays too. They are in a pickle *wink to MC* to find her a present.


**Hello All! This is my first Fan Fic ever!! I hope every one enjoys it! **

**~FortunaMajor7**

**P.S. I don't own any rights to this, and it is merely for entertainment sake.**

"SHHHHH!!" Seamus said, circling around the common room and trying to quiet everyone down. It was pointless. Everyone was absolutely ecstatic after the Gryffindors had triumphed over Slytherin in the pre-season scrimmage. It was a game that was "just for fun" but it still felt great to beat the Slytherins.

Seamus finally jumped on top of the ledge in front of the fireplace and yelled as loud as he could, "HEY!" Everyone froze and looked at him. "I," he continued, "would like to propose a toast to the one and only Harry Potter!" The students burst into applause and cheers once again and it was several minutes before Seamus could speak again.

"For," Seamus went on, "as the newly appointed captain, and the long time Seeker, he is the reason we swooped for the victory!" Applause broke out again.

Collin Creevy squealed, "SPEECH!" and pushed Harry up onto the ledge. He looked only slightly disgruntled but smiled all the same. Not even forced attention could ruin his mood.

"Thanks, thanks, everyone," he said gratefully. "Couldn't have happened without our awesome team! Katie, Ginny, Demelza, Alicia, Dean, and oh, who I am I forgetting?" He locked eyes with Ron, who was smirking back at him. "Oh right, RON!!! After all, WEASLEY IS OUR KING!!!!"

The entire common room broke out into a chorus of "Weasley is Our King." Hermione was crouched over a book on the couch, but even she couldn't help but drop her work and chime in. Soon the portrait hole burst open and Neville and Dean came stumbling in with two large kegs of Butterbeer. The Gryffindors circled in around and soon everyone seemed even more cheerful. Dean, Seamus, and Harry shed their shirts and painted their chests with maroon and gold. With a few last sips of Butterbeer, they stumbled out of the portrait hole with Mark Evans trailing awkwardly behind them.

It was the early hours of the morning before people started to stumble up to their bedrooms. Soon, only Ron, Hermione and Ginny remained. Hermione was curled into the armchair near the dying fire, holding Ron's copy of _Advanced Potion Making_ and scribbling on a piece of parchment. Ron sat on the couch, still taking in the wonderful events of the night. It was only two weeks into school, and he had already won the first Quidditch scrimmage, and nabbed the better book from Harry. He'd given up on the Slug Club, but he thought he saw Lavender ogling him. It seemed that this year was going to be great. Granted, he had missed a few assignments….that reminded him of his Potions Essay.

"Hermione," he said in the sweetest tone he could muster, "I'm awful exhausted from the game and I just don't think that I have the energy-"

"I am already writing your Potions Essay, Ron," Hermione said with a smirk.

Ginny was asleep next to Ron. She started to stir, and slowly woke up. Her eyes widened as she looked at her watch.

"Heavens, is it really that late?" she asked rhetorically, "I best be getting to bed." And as she slowly made her way to the stairs, Ron thought he saw her glance back at Hermione with a strange, knowing look. He brushed it off and looked at Hermione. She had a strange look on her face and shifted awkwardly in her seat. They both heard a sparking noise and Hermione stared at Ron in fright. Ron leaned in to see what it was as Hermione leaped from the chair to the couch. With a bang a small gold firecracker burst from the chair and erupted to spell "GRYFFINDOR WINS."

Ron and Hermione laughed and neither had noticed that Hermione fell right into Ron and was now comfortably crouched under his arm. They locked eyes and immediately stopped laughing. For a moment they held each other's gaze and Ron had a feeling she was thinking the exact same thing.

_This feels…right. _He thought. He stared into her warm chocolate eyes and felt he could melt into them. They heard a mumbling from outside the portrait hole and realized Harry, Seamus, and Dean were returning from their late night shirtless excursion.

Ron quickly swung his arm from around her and threw himself into the chair. He was slightly out of breath from nervousness. Thankfully the others were occupied by pulling an unconscious Seamus by the armpits. Harry was tugging Seamus' floppy legs over the port hole. Once his body was all the way through they dropped him none-the-gently on the floor.

"We," Dean panted, "almost g-got caught by F-f-Filch. Hid behind Hagrid's Hut." He rambled for several minutes about their epic journey back to Gryffindor Tower which involved Seamus passing out and Harry trying to take a dip with the Giant Squid. Ron was barely listening, his head spinning. He was trying to make sense of what had just happened. Was it all his imagination?

"Wait," Hermione said looking skeptically back and forth, "where's Mark?"

"Must've…" Harry said thinking, "left him…somewhere." They all shrugged it off and kept talking.

"So, what've you two been up to?" Harry mumbled out, "Ron, you look 'sif you'd seen a ghost."

Ron's head spun enough without trying to think of an excuse as to why he looked as he did. Thankfully Hermione was quick with an answer.

"Ron's just realized he hasn't completed his Potions Essay," she said locking eyes with him for a moment, "and I feel simply exhausted, so I'll be going to bed now. Good luck on your essay, Ron. Good night, everybody!" And with a swift turn, she was making her way up the stairs.

Silence ruled for several moments. Dean was attempting to kick Seamus awake while Harry was settled himself by the fire, and Ron was trying his hardest to look normal. Mark stumbled through the portrait hole, panting. Nobody acknowledged the fact that they'd abandoned him.

"Well," he said quietly, breaking the silence, "what has everybody gotten Hermione for her birthday?"

"What the bloody…." Harry mumbled, "Girls have birthdays?"

"Yeah," said Mark with a shocked face, "And Hermione's is in 3 days"

Harry and Ron were both too tired to think at this point, so they stumbled up to bed with worries of gifts looming in their heads.

Harry and Ron sat by the lake the next day, pondering what to do about Hermione's birthday.

"Well, I think we should get her something really special," a red-eyed Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry said, "especially considering we've missed the past 5 birthdays…." Ron dipped his feet in the lake, thinking, while Harry flipped through a copy of _Witch Weekly_ tactfully stolen from a third year.

"Here!" Harry exclaimed after several minutes, "Miss Quan's Quality Quills. Set of 12 personalized quills for 6 galleons. Comes with spell-checker, and guaranteed not to run out of ink. Oh! And for an extras two knuts, they'll gift wrap it for you! If I send Hedwig this afternoon they'll be here in time for her birthday!!" Harry quickly scribbled out the order form then scurried off to the Owlery.

Ron felt even worse now that Harry had found a present for her. But, at the same time he wanted to get her something REALLY special, that she would never forget. He barely noticed when Ginny plopped next to him.

" I've asked McGonagall and she's allowing us to go to Hogsmeade for Hermione's Birthday for the afternoon because we haven't any classes!! Hagrid's going to come as our chaperone!" Ginny squealed with excitement.

"Wow," Ron said with a look of shock and a bit of worry, "That's an awesome present…"

"Yeah! I hope she likes it!!" Ginny went on, "I've invited Luna, Neville and obviously Harry and you and I will be there. Anyone else you can think of?"

"Maybe Mark…." Ron said absent mindedly, "he hasn't any friends…."

"Oh good idea! I'll go find him now!" Ginny rushed off, leaving Ron to contemplate alone.

_I need to get her something really……special. And meaningful. _Ron thought to himself. _She means so much to me and…and…_ Suddenly, it hit Ron like a Bludger in the face. He knew exactly what he had to do to show Hermione how much she meant to him.

_To Be Continued_

**Can't wait for your feedback! All comments are appreciated. **


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